A blog providing news, analysis, insight, and commentary on the war in Afghanistan.

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Biometrics Training for ANDSF . . . . Again

Twitter feed 6 Oct 2016 - @ResoluteSupport

Every year the Coalition forces (under the International Security Assistance Force - ISAF and now under Resolute Support Mission) conducts a re-vamped biometrics training program in an attempt to get the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police to register their soldiers and policemen under the MoD and MoI biometrics systems. If successful, the biometrics datebase can streamline personnel assignments, pay issues, and manning rosters. But it seems every year the MoD and MoI falls short in implementation of the biometrics registration - which affects the ability to manage personnel, reduce ghost soldiers and policemen, and reduce corruption. Ah, there's the rub. The Afghan's simply don't want to have the biometric system to work. Because that would expose the significant ghost soldier and policeman problem - which in turn (because the salaries are received by corrupt leaders) reduce the amount of money commanders receive. ISAF (now RS) has been trying to implement a biometric system since at least 2008 (see page 36 of the Progress toward Security and Stability in Afghanistan, DoD 1230 report, January 2009). So as much as we wish Essential Function 4 great success in the biometric implementation programs we should all acknowledge this that time next year a new set of advisors will be helping the Afghans to implement their biometric systems.